Food briefs for Oct. 4-10

Historic Santa Ysabel market reopens:
The historical Santa Ysabel General Store will reopen Oct. 6 after an extensive restoration effort by the Save Our Heritage Organisation. Built in 1884 at the crossroads of Highways 78 and 79 in northeast San Diego County, the store offers heirloom and artisanal food items, nature-oriented gift items, home and garden items, books and tourist-related gifts. The store operated as a market for 80 years, then was used for a number of different purposes for 30 years. SOHO has restored the market to its original use with antique display cases and wood counters, replicas of shelving, bare wood floors and a wood-burning stove. The store will also include a visitors center. Visit sohosandiego.org or call 619-297-9327.

Fish Market renovation complete
: The Fish Market restaurant in Solana Beach has finished the largest renovation in its 31-year history. The eight-week revamp included the installation of 25 new dining booths and a private dining room, a new ceiling, etched glass accents, nautical design elements. The restaurant across the street from the Del Mar Fairgrounds seats 270 and employs 100.

Uptown Tavern debuts
: Uptown Tavern has opened at 1236 University Ave. in Hillcrest. Owned by David Cohen and Bobby Jones, the partners behind North Park's West Coast Tavern, Uptown will have the atmosphere of a rustic-chic neighborhood bar with roll-up garage-door windows, indoor and outdoor dining areas, HD televisions and a menu created by executive chef Eli Freebairn. Uptown's bar will have 20 taps for beer and a large selection of vodka drinks and craft cocktails.

Nature's Kitchen debuts:
The former Cafe 21 restaurants in Normal Heights and downtown San Diego have been renamed Nature's Kitchen to reflect a new menu by chef Leyla Javadov of ingredients entirely sourced from local and organic farms. The new menu includes Baklava Crumble Salad, Curry Seared Scallops, Zucchini Cake Skillet, Khan Pilaf, Vegan Sautee and more. Among its local suppliers are Ram's Farm, Sage Mountain Farm, Mary's Free Ranch, TR Natural, Fresh Origins and True Leaf Farms. Later this summer, Nature's Kitchen plans to host a series of "meet the farmer" dinners. Visit cafe-21.com .

Mama's bake sale gears up:
Mama's Kitchen is recruiting bakers for its eighth annual Mama's Pie in the Sky Thanksgiving Bake Sale. Each fall, restaurants, bakeries and caterers volunteer to cook fresh pumpkin, pecan, apple and sugar-free apple pies during Thanksgiving week. The pies are sold to the public for $20 each and proceeds benefit Mama's Kitchen, which provides home-delivered hot meals to San Diegans with AIDS and cancer. Pies go on sale Oct. 1. This year's goal is to sell 6,000 pies, which will raise $125,000 (and pay for 41,000 meals for Mama's clients). For details, visit mamaspies.org or call 619-233-6262.

Commons debuts downtown
: The Commons, a downtown neighborhood bar, opened last week on the northeast corner of Horton Plaza. The brainchild of San Diego entrepreneur Jake Pescatello and Leigh Gibson, founder of Dirty Birds in Pacific Beach, the new 2,800-square-foot bar is at Fourth Avenue and E Street. It is the first business to open on the perimeter of Horton Plaza Park, an urban plaza to be built on the north border of Horton Plaza center, on the site of the soon-to-be-razed Robinsons-May department store. The bar/restaurant serves classic American bar fare, including salads, chicken wings, sandwiches and appetizers. It is open daily for lunch, dinner, happy hour, late nights and "Kegs & Eggs" brunch on weekends. To celebrate the opening, The Commons is offering a Sunday afternoon football special. For $10, diners can get 5 Jammer Wings (named for San Diego Chargers cornerback and Commons investor Quentin Jammer) and a draft beer of choice. For each order, $1 will be donated to the Jammer Family Foundation. The deal is available Sundays through the end of the NFL season. Visit at thecommonssd.com .

Sora opens in financial district
: Sora, the Japanese word for sky, has opened in downtown San Diego on the ground floor of a building in the banking district at 655 W. Broadway. The 8,000-square-foot, 150-seat restaurant is owned by Alessandro Minutella, general manager Daniele V. Gilardi and executive chef Noriyoshi Teruya, who formerly cooked for Nobu in Milan, New York, San Diego and other locations. The restaurant, in the space formerly occupied by Crescent Heights in the First Allied building, features a Milan/Tokyo-inspired menu, an outdoor lounge, extensive charcuterie program and Japanese art collection. Minutella's other local restaurant projects have included Osteria Panevino, Greystone Steak House, Chocolat and Osetra Fish House. Visit sorasandiego.com or call 619-564-7100.

Malarkey writes cookbook
: San Diego celebrity chef Brian Malarkey will issue his first cookbook in November, "Come Early, Stay Late." The illustrated cookbook will feature the most popular dishes and pastries at each of his fabric-named restaurants (Burlap, Searsucker, Gingham, Gabardine, Herringbone) and cocktail pairings. Malarkey describes his recipes as playful twists on traditional classics and easy to prepare (all you need is a pair of tongs). The cookbook will be published in late November and will be available at all major bookstores.

Food events

La Jolla Art & Wine Festival:
More than 20 premiere wineries and 150 artists from Southern California and northern Mexico will be featured at the fourth annual festival from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 13 and 14 at Girard Avenue between Prospect and Kline streets in La Jolla. The event features a wine and beer garden, juried art show, entertainment by the San Diego Circus Center, live music, children's arts activities and more. An estimated 30,000 are expected to attend. Admission is free but a $5 donation will be requested at the gate. Visit ljawf.org .

Red Door hosts Chef's Market Dinner
: The Red Door Restaurant & Wine Bar will host a farmers market tour and four-course dinner at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 17 at 741 W. Washington St. in Mission Hills. Food writer Caron Golden will lead a tour of the community farmers market followed by chef Michel Valdez's dinner made with items from the restaurant's own garden. Cost is $49 or $73 with wine pairings. A portion of proceeds benefits Olivewood Gardens & Learning Center. Visit thereddoorsd.com .

Neighborhood Street Fest
: Neighborhood eatery in San Diego's East Village will celebrate its fifth anniversary with a street beer garden featuring beers by local brewers including Stone, Ballast Point, Port/Lost Abbey, Green Flash and AleSmith from 1-6 p.m. Oct. 20 on Eighth Avenue between Market and G streets. Cost is $10, which buys four half-pint tastings and a commemorative stein. Visit neighborhoodsd.brownpapertickets.com .

San Diego Wine & Food Festival:
The ninth annual celebration runs Nov. 14-18 and will feature 25 citywide tastings, parties, classes, dinners and special events featuring more than 200 wineries, brewers and spirits makers, as well as more than 70 San Diego restaurants. Tickets and full details are available at www.sandiegowineclassic.com .

Islands Restaurant
, multiple locations: During NFL season, Islands is extending its happy hour specials on Monday and Thursday nights. Diners can get discount appetizers for under $5 all night in the bar those evenings. And on Sundays, when games are broadcast in the Islands bars, happy hour lasts all day in the bar, where there will be $3.95 bloody marys and beer, $2.95 Coors Lights and $7.05 wings. There are also several new mixed drinks on the Islands bar menu, priced from $7.35 to $8.65, including the Paradise's Mai Tai, Jager Bay and Maker's Wedge.

Melting Pot
, La Jolla and San Diego: Before 6 p.m. weekdays, diners can get half-off bottles of wine priced under $100 and half off cheese and chocolate fondues, signature cocktails, martinis, salads and wines by the glass.

NEW MENUS

Beaumont's Eatery
, Bird Rock: In honor of the restaurant's new chef George Morris, the restaurant has unveiled a new fall menu with Butter Lettuce & Blueberry Salad, local mussels, Twelve Hour Pork Spare Ribs, 3-Way Jidori Chicken, Cashew Crusted Local Bass and more. Still to come this fall is an interior revamp that will feature a new color scheme, eclectic art and "found" inspired decor.

Blue Point Coastal Cuisine
, Gaslamp Quarter: Blue Point presents Menus with Meaning this fall. Diners can order a special prix-fixe menu and 20 percent of proceeds from sales will benefit a different charity each month. During October, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation will be honored with a three-course Oktoberfest menu priced at $55 ($12 optional pairings). In November, Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego benefits from a three-course "land and sea" menu priced at $55 ($12 pairings). And in December, Feeding America San Diego is the beneficiary for a three-course lobster menu priced at $70. Details at bluepointsd.com .

Delicias,
Rancho Santa Fe: From 4 to 6 p.m. weekdays, executive chef Paul McCabe is offering a Social Hour Menu, with $10 May Ranch Natural Cheeseburgers or Margherita Flatbread pizzas, as well as a Flights & Bites plate, which includes 2-ounce pours of three select wines of the month and bites from McCabe's menu. The newly remodeled restaurant is also spotlighting a Featured Winery of the Month each month.

P.F. Chang's
, multiple locations: In honor of National Noodle Day on Oct. 6, a new menu of Pad Thai noodle dishes will be offered for $12.95 and up beginning Saturday and continuing for a limited time. For dishes, visit pfchangs.com/padthai .

Alchemy of the Hearth:
Cooking classes are offered at 960 Rancheros Drive, Suite L, San Marcos. The school is now enrolling for its professional culinary and baking programs, which begin Sept. 10. Culinary school is $6,000, baking/patisserie is $3,750. Alchemy of the Hearth is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Go to alchemyofthehearth.com or call 760-233-2433.

Franco's Home Chef Pizza Classes:
Vista chef Frank Latino, a graduate of the International School of Pizza in San Francisco, is offering ongoing one- and two-day hands-on classes in pizza-making for wood-fired and gas-fired ovens. Seven- to eight-hour classes are limited to six and include lunch. For fees and locations, visit 2003champ@sbcglobal.net or call 619-890-4984.

Roppongi Sushi School:
Roppongi Restaurant in La Jolla hosts Saturday Sushi School at 12:30 p.m. Saturdays. For $25, guests will learn how to roll their own California and Spicy Tuna rolls, followed by a three-course lunch with sake sipper and a take-home sushi-rolling kit and certificate of completion. Reserve to 858-551-5252.

Ro Z's Sweet Art Studio:
Rosanne Zinniger's cake decorating shop and studio at 277 S. Rancho Santa Fe Road, San Marcos, offers classes in cake decorating. There is also a kids cake decorating club for ages 7 to 11 one Saturday of every month; go to the website for dates. Store hours are 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Classes sometimes have an additional fee for materials; check the website. Visit rozsweetartstudio.com or call 760-744-0447.

Taste of Opera
: San Diego Opera has teamed with Great News! Discount Cookware and Cooking School in Pacific Beach for a series of ethnic cooking classes events themed to each of the five operas it will produce in 2013. Participants will learn how to cook dishes and learn about each opera from San Diego Opera's education director Nicolas Reveles and will enjoy a tasting menu of the dishes cooked. Cost is $49 per class. Reserve to great-news.com:

The Casual Gourmet:
Phillis Carey will teach simple meals to cook at home at the Center for a Healthy Lifestyle at the Solana Beach Boys & Girls Club, 533 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach. Email phillis@philliscarey.com or call 760-942-1756.

IN THE SPIRITS

Addison at Grand Del Mar Wine Tasting Series:
The Carmel Valley resort's high-end restaurant will host a series of summer wine tastings on the Addison terrace led by wine director Jesse Rodriguez. Cost is $40. Reserve to 858-314-2000.

Blue Door Winery:
The 10-acre vineyard has opened a tasting room at 1255 Julian Orchards Drive in Julian. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Cost is $8 for five tastings. Bottled wines are $19 to $29. Visit bluedoorwinery.com or call 760-765-0361.

Cafe Japengo
: The La Jolla restaurant is offering monthly tastings of prime sakes from Japan. The $25 tastings include samples of five different sakes, information on the history of each brand and live entertainment. Visit cafejapengo.com or 858-450-3355.

Falkner Winery Vertical Tastings:
Falkner Winery in Temecula will launch monthly vertical tastings, where samples will be offered of multiple vintages of the same wine from the same producer. Each monthly session led by sommelier George Meyers will be limited to 16 tasters. Cost is $40. Reserve to 951-676-8231, ext. 109.

The Grand Del Mar's Club M:
Part restaurant, part nightclub, part sports lounge, Club M invites locals and travelers to sip 'n sup on global tapas, sophisticated cocktails, wine and beer, as well as dance and enjoy live entertainment. Noted architect Graham Downes designed and reconfigured the space to create a swank hangout with a lounge, bar, dining room, a large dance floor, and a stage for featured performances and DJs. 7 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; guest DJs 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; www.thegranddelmar.com or 858-314-2700.

Grand Del Mar Wine & Mixology events
: The Grand Del Mar resort in Carmel Valley will host wine and cocktail events this summer in its library. Tray-passed hors d'oeuvres will be served. Cost for each is $45. Reserve to 858-314-1996.

•
7 p.m. Sept. 27
: Fall-inspired mixology demonstration

The Collective:
Tasting lounge features one-of-a-kind, handmade boutique wines at 28544 Old Town Front Street in Temecula. Hours are 3 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, noon to midnight Fridays and Saturdays, and noon to 10 p.m. Sundays. Visit tvwinecollective.com or call 951-693-4567.

ENO-Versity at the Hotel Del:
ENO, the wine, cheese and chocolate tasting room at the Hotel del Coronado, has announced fall classes for ENO-Versity. Classes are $35 per person (unless noted) and start at 4 p.m.; go to hoteldel.com/ENO-wine or call 619-522-8546. The Hotel Del is at 1500 Orange Ave. in Coronado.

Hilton Garden Inn:
Sommelier Kevin Frantze and emcee Bob Rauch will lead a tasting of six wines on select Saturdays this summer at the Hilton Garden Inn in Del Mar. Each 5 p.m. tasting is $29 and includes six wine tastings and a variety of specialty cheeses, fruits and nuts, plus a bottle of wine to take home or pair with dinner at Bistro 39. Go to www.bistro39delmar.com or call 858-720-9500.

Miramonte Winery:
The Temecula winery hosts VIBE once a month with music, food, wines, champagnes, beers and DJs; the winery also hosts "Just Us Girls" at 7 p.m. every first Thursday. The event features wines, champagne cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and vendors. Go to miramontewinery.com or call 951-506-5500.

Monte de Oro Winery & Vineyard:
These events are coming up at Monte de Oro Winery & Vineyard at 35820 Rancho California Road in Temecula. Wine club members receive discounts; go to montedeoro.com or call 951-491-6551.

North County Wine Company:
Brothers Jim and Bill Tobin have recently purchased North County Wine Company at 1099 W. San Marcos Blvd. in San Marcos. The wine bar and shop is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Friday Night Tastings are $10 and include seven wine tastings and snacks. Other weekly events include Tuesday Ladies Night, Meet the Winemaker Wednesday, Thirsty Thursday, Friday Wine Tasting Six for Six Saturday and Silver Sunday Special. Visit www.NorthCountyWineCompany.com or call 760-744-2119.

Rossi's Pizza:
Hosts a wine group at 6:30 p.m. every first Wednesday at 156 S. Rancho Santa Fe Road in San Marcos. Tastings are $10, and there are discounts on bottles. Go to www.rossis-pizza.com or call 760-727-4747.

Stone Brewing Co.:
The Escondido brewery and restaurant is hosting events at 1999 Citracado Parkway in Escondido. The bistro also hosts movies in its garden during warm-weather months. Call 760-471-4999 or go to www.stonebrew.com to check availability.

Tango offers half-price Wednesdays:
Escondido's Tango Restaurant & Lounge is offering half-price on all drinks and bottles of wine from 3 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, as well as happy hour pricing all evening. Visit tangoongrand.com .

Thornton Winery:
The Temecula winery hosts a series of monthly tasting events. Reserve to 951-699-0099.

Vinz Wine Bar:
Full restaurant menu with wide wine menu by the glass or bottle. Tastings are from $5-$10 from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and 3 to 5 p.m. Saturdays, and come with charcuterie and cheese. Live music on Saturdays. Vinz is at 201 E. Grand Ave., Escondido. Visit vinzwinebar.net or call 760-743-8466.

Wine Smarties:
The Wine Smarties presents internationally recognized WSET certification programs and other wine classes. The courses are ideal for enthusiasts, professionals or those looking to enter the industry. Go to winesmarties.com or call 619-955-8884. Reservations required.

WineStyles:
The Encinitas wine store offers wine, microbrews, cheese platters and panini after 5 p.m. and several specials each week. On Wednesdays, get a half-price glass or flight of wine after 5 p.m.; Thursday is Ladies' Night; live music most Fridays and Saturdays; and Super Six Wine Tasting is on Saturday afternoons. WineStyles is open from noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon to 10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Go to www.winestyles.net/encinitas or call 760-633-0057.